Hi everyone! Here I am with the next chapter!
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Disclaimer: I do not own Sweeney Todd!
Chapter 34
The day after their wedding Benjamin woke up first with a smile on his face. He opened one eye and looked at Nellie who was sleeping peacefully with her back to him.
"Nope, no dream." He whispered with a wide grin, opening both o f his eyes. He sat up, resting on his elbow and his eyes moved over her bare back. Her hair was falling on her shoulders and over her pillow as she slept, looking like a veil. He smiled and slid closer to her before checking his daughter with his eyes who was still sleeping. He placed his hand on her back and felt her soft skin under his fingertips. She stirred but didn't wake up. He came even closer to her by pressing his front against her back, molding his body against hers. She mumbled what sounded like his name and he chuckled when she snuggled closer to his chest. He moved her hair away from her shoulder and kissed the skin where her neck met her shoulder making her give a happy sigh. He placed his hand under the covers and around her waist and put it on her stomach, rubbing it softly.
"Benjamin…can't a woman sleep without you groping her in her sleep?" she asked him sleepily making him laugh softly.
"Good morning to you too." He said in her ear.
She turned around and looked at him with half closed eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek and caressed it softly, making him lean into her touch.
"Did you sleep well here?" she asked him as she snuggled close to his chest.
"Yes, why wouldn't I sleep well?" he asked her with a chuckle as he put his arms around her tightly.
"Well, you know…it's not your bed and…I mean I can't sleep easily into other beds…" she muttered into his chest.
"I slept just fine." He said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. They sat together for a while before Ben spoke again.
"I should bring my things down here." He said as his hands moved in circles on her back.
"Really?" she asked him happily.
"Why yes. We are married now. I'll have the room upstairs only for my work." He said looking at her.
"Okay." She said softly.
"Christmas is in four days. What would you like to do for the holiday?" he asked her softly.
"Oh!I don't know…maybe we should invite Helen and Tom for dinner at Christmas." She said happily as she sat up to look at him better.
"That'd be nice. It would be great to have some company. I'm going to invite them tomorrow." He said as he played with a lock of her hair.
"Good. Johanna will have fun with the girls. They are nice." She said as she made to leave the bed but stopped, placing the sheet around her.
'Um…Ben…can you hand me that robe?" she asked him, pointing at the cloth on a chair near his side of the bed.
"Sure, but why? Are you shy?" he asked her teasingly as he reached for the robe.
"Ben! Just give me the robe. I'm getting cold." She hissed in a hushed voice as if not to wake the baby.
"Oh…I don't know…what do I get?" he asked her in a husky voice while looking at her intently.
"You get a piece of yesterday's cake!" she said irritated.
"Oh…okay…but how about a morning kiss?" he said pouting.
"God! You are stubborn." She said as she grabbed his face and kissed him passionately on the mouth making his eyes widen. He kissed her back too and groaned when he felt her move away.
"The robe, Benjamin." She said to him with raised eyebrows.
He opened his eyes and looked at the robe before reluctantly handing it back to her.
"I don't know why you have to cover yourself. It's nothing I haven't seen before." He said looking at her with a longing expression while she put it on quickly.
"So what would have me do? Walk around naked?" she asked him chuckling at his expression.
"Oh…that wouldn't be a bad idea…" he mumbled as she sat back on the bed.
She laughed but leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead making him smile goofily at her. She walked to Johanna's crib and leaned close only to find the baby looking up at her with her teddy bear clutched in her small hands.
"You are awake, sweetie? Come here." She said as she picked her up and hugged her close as she turned around to look at Ben who was watching them.
"Hold her for a minute. I need to go to the bathroom and change." She said to him as she gave him the little girl. He nodded and embraced his daughter.
"You were awake all this time?" he asked her when they were left alone. The baby giggled and pointed at him.
"So you saw me humiliate my self for a kiss?" he asked her with wide eyes. The baby laughed again and laid her small head against his bare chest.
"Great!" he said with a sigh which quickly turned into a laugh when he felt her poking his chest with her small finger. He kissed her forehead and hugged her tighter and then noticed that she was still holding the bear in her arms.
"I don't understand what is so nice about …him…" he said looking at the bear with narrowed eyes. Shrugging he leaned back and looked at her. As she was lying on his chest he felt her warm breath on his skin and he smiled. He held her tighter as he felt his heart swell with love for this little angel in his arms.
"God only knows how much I love you, sweetheart." He said to her while she looked up at him with her head cocked to the side. He smiled and poked her little nose and she giggled again, music to his ears.
After a while Nellie returned and smiled as she saw them together.
"You can dress now. I'll take her." She offered but he shook his head.
"Let me hold her a bit more. I'll be up in a few minutes." He said to her with a smile.
"Okay. I'm going to make breakfast. I'll call you when it's ready." She said as she winked at him before pinching Johanna's cheek. She left them and headed to the kitchen.
About an hour later they had eaten breakfast and Ben decided to bring his clothes and his other things to Nellie's room.
"I'll be back in a minute." He said as he stood up from the chair.
"You want me to help you?" she offered but he shook his head and smiled.
"Just make sure there is space for my clothes and Johanna's." he said as he headed for his shop upstairs.
In a few minutes he was back with his clothes in his arms.
"Give them to me. I'll put them in the closet. Bring the rest." She said to him as she headed for her bedroom with his clothes in her arms. In about an hour they had arranged his things along with the baby's and they looked at the closet satisfied.
"Thank God they fit." He said with a sigh of relief.
"Um…Nellie?" he asked her uncomfortably.
"Yes, love?" she said to him softly.
"I was thinking…when Johanna is old enough to be in her own room…we could put her in the spare room you have…What do you think?" he asked her hopefully.
"Of course, darling. We will make it very beautiful for her when it's time." She said as she rubbed his arm.
"Thank you." He said to her with a smile.
'No need to thank me, Ben. What is mine is yours too." She said a she closed the closet and headed towards the parlor where Johanna was sitting playing with her bear…and Elizabeth. Nellie laughed as she saw her and called Ben.
"Ben, come here for a minute!" she said as she watched the baby.
"What?...Oh…" he said as a grin spread over his face.
"I told you I had good taste in dolls." He said as he watched satisfied his daughter playing with the doll he had picked for her even if she had trouble holding her properly. With a smile he left the room, walking happily towards the kitchen and Nellie stood staring at him from the hallway as he bounced around the room.
"Your father is worse than an eight year old, my darling." she said but winced when she heard a groan coming from the room.
"Ouch!" she heard Ben saying loudly.
"What?" she asked him worried as she started walking towards him.
"Nothing…I hit my foot on the table…"he said glaring at the table while Nellie started laughing hysterically at his expense.
End of chapter 34
Author's note: Thank you for reading! Please review and tell me what you think! Feedback is always appreciated and it encourages me to write! :)